Chicago, ILLINOIS - Palmer House - Victorian Room - ARCHITECTURE: The Palmer House Hilton is a historic hotel in Chicago in the city's Loop area. Currently operating as the Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel, it is a Historic Hotels of America member, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Palmer House was the city's first hotel with elevators and the first hotel with electric light bulbs and telephones in the guest rooms. It has also been dubbed the longest continuously operating hotel in North America. Three Palmer House hotels have been located at the corner of State and Monroe streets in Chicago. By the 1920s, the business in downtown Chicago could support a much larger facility, and the Palmer Estate decided to erect a new 25-story hotel. They hired Holabird & Roche to design the building. Between 1923 and 1925, the hotel was rebuilt on the same site. In December 1945, Conrad Hilton bought the Palmer House for $20 million, and it was thereafter known as The Palmer House Hilton. In 2005, Hilton sold the property to Thor Equities, but it remains part of the Hilton chain. The architecture firms of Loebl Schlossman & Hackl and David Fleener Architects completely renovated and restored the hotel between 2007 and 2009. This White Border Era (1915-30) postcard shows the third version of Palmer House. The card is in good condition.